Being a carerAdvice on caring for yourself, friends or family

Customer Care TeamIf you have a query about our health services, or would like to comment, compliment or complain about Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, you can contact the Customer Care Team.

Phone: 0300 123 1807 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Please ask if you would like the team to call you back

Text: 07943 091958

Email: kcht.cct@nhs.net

Address: Customer Care Team, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, Trinity House, 110-120 Upper Pemberton, Eureka Park, Ashford, Kent TN25 4AZ.

Web: www.kentcht.nhs.uk

If you would like this information in another language, audio, Braille, Easy Read or large print, please ask a member of staff. You will be asked for your agreement to treatment and, if necessary, your permission to share your personal information.

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Carers support services near you

Carers FIRST3 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5TP0300 303 1555info@carersfirst.org.ukwww.carersfirst.org.uk

Carers Support Ashford, Shepway and SwaleNorman House, Beaver Business Park, Beaver Road, Ashford Kent TN23 7SH01233 664393admin@carers-ashford.org.ukwww.carers-ashford.org.uk

Maidstone and Malling Carers ProjectVAM Maidstone Community Support Centre 39 - 48 Marsham StreetMaidstone Kent ME14 1HH01622 677337office@vam-online.org.ukwww.vam-online.org.uk

Carers Support Canterbury, Dover and Thanet80 Middle Street, Deal Kent CT14 6HL01304 364637support@carers-doverdistrict.orgwww.carers-supportcdt.org.uk

Leaflet code: 00792 • Published: September 2015 • Expires: September 2018

If you would like to discuss the advice given in this leaflet, please talk to your healthcare professional. You can also get other information from:

Age UK Phone: 0800 169 6565 Web: www.ageuk.org.uk

Thrombosis UK Phone: 0300 772 9603 Web: www.thrombosis-charity.org.uk

ContinencePhone: 0845 345 0165 Web: www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org

Continence ServicePhone: 0300 7900310www.kentcht.nhs.uk/continence

Further information

Carers provide many hours of unpaid support for their family and friends who are ill, frail, or have long-term health conditions. They play a vital role in enabling family and friends to remain living at home. We understand you may have been providing this care for many years, with very little support and advice.

While we aim to put our patients at the centre of their care, we also want to make sure family and carers feel confident in a caring role and also that they look after their own health. We want you to feel that you are part of our team. Please tell us your observations or worries about the person you are caring for. We are also here for you, so if you have concerns about your own health, tell us.

This leaflet is to help and reassure you about getting the basics of care right and to explain some of the common questions that carers have told us healthcare professionals ask.

Carers play a vital role in helping family and friends to remain living at home.

Examples include:

Keep an eye on the pressure areas.

What are they? Where are they? What am I looking for?

Did you note the colour of the urine?

What colour should it be?

Make sure they keep active and move.

How often and why?

What can I do if they can’t move?

I’m worried about them falling.

Make sure they drink plenty.

What does that mean?

Keep the pressure off where you can.

Off where?

Common issuesEvery carer can make a significant contribution to a family member or friend’s health and wellbeing, particularly around reducing the four most common problems, which are:

These problems can often be connected. Someone who falls may become less mobile and therefore at greater risk of developing a pressure ulcer or a blood clot. In most cases, there are things you can do to reduce the risks by helping the family member or friend to keep as active as they can and eat and drink regularly.

fallingpressure

ulcers (bed sores)

blood clots

urinary tract infections

Every carer can make a significant contribution

We are here to help you This leaflet should help you to know what to look for and when to ask your healthcare professional for support. We are not suggesting you turn your home into a hospital ward; however the regular checks that are done on the wards of our community hospital can be useful at home.

Someone who falls may become less mobile and therefore at greater risk of developing a pressure ulcer or a blood clot.

Encouraging movement will help to relieve pressure areas of skin that might be at risk of developing pressure ulcers. Your healthcare professional will advise on how often it should be done. They will also give advice if your family member or friend can’t move. Helping your family member or friend to move their feet up and down and round in circles reduces the risk of a blood clot. Ask us for the leaflets on preventing pressure ulcers or falls for more advice or see our patient information library.

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If someone hasn’t eaten or drunk enough, they may be prone to constipation which can reduce their appetite. They may also experience dizzy spells or light headedness, which can increase the risk of falling. Being underweight or overweight is also known to play a part in developing pressure ulcers on bony areas. Water and extra protein, for example full fat milk or oily fish, are essential in preventing pressure ulcers and healing skin.

Encourage a balanced diet containing meat, fish, poultry or a vegetarian alternative; fruit and vegetables, bread, potatoes, cereals, milk and

dairy products.

Regular drinks help by flushing the bladder, as well as helping to improve circulation by removing toxins and reducing the risk of clots. Urine may be darker than usual if someone is not drinking enough. Regular drinks, in particular water, can help prevent constipation.

Encourage regular intake of fluids. Aim for between six and eight drinks a day, unless advised otherwise. Water is best for keeping skin hydrated or they

could have a non-alcoholic drink such as milk,

squash or tea.

Eat and drink well

Keep moving

Check

Check skin for signs of pressure damage every day. If a person’s skin is darker, redder or more sore than usual do not continue to let them lie or sit on that area and tell us. People with darker skin tones are less likely to have visible reddening of the skin.

There are types of pressure relieving equipment that we may advise to reduce the risk of pressure ulcers, but do ask us if you have any concerns about equipment.

Regularly ask the family member or friend you are caring for if they are okay. Talk to your healthcare professional if you are worried or need advice.

One to three is healthy wee, four to eight,

time to hydrate

Carers’ rightsThe Care Act 2014 introduced new rights for carers, including the right to have an individual assessment of your needs.

For more information contact Carers UK: Phone: 0808 808 7777 Email: advice@carersuk.org Web: www.carersuk.org

Kent County Council (KCC) is developing online information for carers:

The Kent Directory of Services (KDOS) http://local.kent.gov.uk/kb5/kent/directory/home.page